Ella Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Kosher) 2009 750ml

Winery: Ella Valley

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

For most of us, when we look for red wines in a wine store or supermarket, the name Cabernet Sauvignon stands out as a mark of quality and reliability. The same can be said for the way those who cultivate the grapevines see them, too, as part of the reason Cabernet Sauvignon varietal grapes have had so much success all over the world is due to their hardiness against frost, reliability in regards to yield and quality, and great resistance to rot. As such, Cabernet Sauvignon is a winemaker's dream of a grape, consistently delivering excellence alongside a few pleasant surprises. Despite the fact that the grape on its own in a young wine can often be a bit overpowering, too astringent and challenging for many tastes, it is the perfect grape varietal for blending and aging in oak. Such a truth has been displayed for centuries now in some of the finest wineries on earth, for whom Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are the grape which adds the punch to their world-beating blended wines.

Region: Judean Hills

Israel is a fascinating country for viticulture, and has a wine history which stretches back through the millennia, making it one of the most ancient wine producing countries in the world. Today, much of Israel's wine culture and industry is based in the ancient Judean Hills, a region which benefits from blazing sunshine and mineral rich soils, perfect for the imported grape varietals which thrive there. Indeed, the mid 19th century saw the Rothschild family bring over many of their finest Bordeaux vines from France, and the Judean Hills today are used primarily for the cultivated and processing of excellent quality Bordeaux varietal grapes. As the Judean Hills are in Israel, the vast majority of wines produced there are made alongside kosher purity laws, and are produced specifically for Jewish communities around the world.

Country: Israel

Israel has long been a country associated with wines, with plenty of historical evidence pointing out the significance of wines in biblical times and most likely even before then. Of course, when the country was under Islamic rule, many of the vineyards were destroyed and wine production ceased completely, but today Israel enjoys a thriving wine industry and is frequently recognized as a producer of fine wines which have a growing global audience, helped by the fact that most wines of the country are made with kosher certification. Israel enjoys a Mediterranean climate, and has plenty of mineral rich soil on which to grow vines. There are several micro climates across the country, formed by the geographical features of the land, and wineries have had a long and successful relationship with the imported French grape varietals which flourish there.